334/365

YOU WITH THE SAD EYES...

352/365

OH, ROSEBUD

It's hard to come up with a favorite picture of The Bud - the beach ones are still up there for me. There are thousands and thousands of pictures of her. Her memorial card has my top picks including her pawprint they stamped for us at the emergency vets the day she died.

She would have been 12 today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUPPY DOG!

LOVE THE BUD!

351/365

COCK BLOCK

When The Dad got sick on vacation and we spent some time in Norfolk, we traveled into Ghent... a cute little town with some nice stores and restaurants. I got this doll at a store called Texture.

Loved her skirt with the sparkles scattered about and her rhinestone collar and "leather" legs - the face though kind of reminded me of a penis. Not really sure why. It's a weird, almost pale green color too. I'm kind of stumped as to how I want to re-do her face. I sketched a few things out but nothing is speaking to me and her mouth and nose are stitched on too so not sure how I'm going to deal with that. I tried to name her to give me some inspiration but I'm stuck on that too. My dad and david called me "G" so I think that's what I'm going to call her - G for Ghent.

350/365

PAJAMA PARTY

I'm still in my pajamas! I never left the house - I just went out and moved the car because I was blocking the garage.

Having some serious breathing issues since last night... maybe it was from the extremely loud music at Texas Road House (thanks for canceling out our small business saturday goodness by going to the opposite end of the spectrum for your birthday dinner, Lizzie!) Ever since I got in the car I felt like I was shaking and having a panic attack... still happening today. I feel like there is an elephant on my chest. I have the worst cold ever on top of that - first year I ever got a flu shot too. Should have listened to Dr. Tighe.

Regardless of whether I got dressed or not today, I did get a lot done! I was up really early this morning. Finished my menu for the veinticinco de diciembre including a grocery/Strip list. I even have a good start on next year's menu too! Gift idea list is pretty much done. I'm only really having trouble coming up with ideas for a few people - of course, Glo is one of them. Other than that - I have way too many ideas. I have lots of ideas for DCD too - so if anyone needs any suggestions - I'm your girl.

I started my cyber monday shopping today... there are a lot of companies that are offering pretty good discounts if you like them on facebook - good idea for a win/win for shop and customer. Still have a lot more shopping to do and I looked at the very busy calendar for December... I need to continue to stay on track.

I think we are up to 28 for dinner now. Space is going to be tight. We're to capacity with stuff here let alone adding people too. This can't go on like this for much longer. My Dad's whole life is disrupted on top of it... The parking situation is not working.... This isn't fair to anyone. I need to figure out whether to move or not. All I know is all garages should be in the back of the house.. This way you can hide the cars better and don't have to see your neighbors if you don't want to.

HMMM - just noticed I must have screwed something up somewhere... 350/365. There are more than 15 days left in this year, right?

349/365

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Besides a few things here and there, we almost went the whole day supporting small businesses...

Tea party at Alexandra's Tea Room in Springdale for my birthday and Lizzie's birthday...

Fresh Heirlooms, a store we used to go to in Lawrenceville, moved to New Kensington...we went there for their open house christening their new shop. They remembered us from going to the LoLa store and were happy we made the trip. Got some Popular Mechanics magazines from the 1950s with great photos and these vintage sign letters.

Went to a junk store across the street - Hartman's - found a Meadow Gold milk bottle there so I knew The Dad would be loving that. We met Frank in Fresh Heirlooms - he has an antique shop a few blocks over - can't remember the name but really good stuff in there. Don't know how they will all do there - New Ken is still pretty run down - not sure if there is enough clientele in that area to support the upcycled movement. Hopefully, it will work out. Go there if you can.

Morninglory was a little chaotic but found a super cute snowman dip chiller there... I had it wrapped for myself so no photo. Cutest thing ever. I say that about all snowmen, though, but really - take my word for it. Cutest thing ever. ;-)

Tomorrow is Sleep In Sunday, right? #tired

348/365

BLACK FRIDAY

Spent Black Friday in South Side with the Murphy girls like last year... fortunately, no one is an early riser so no big rush to get anywhere today... We had lunch at the Hofbrauhaus House to celebrate Lizzie's birthday. Didn't buy too much - some kitchen things for The Dad and pots and pans for him (finally!) but they weren't for Christmas - still lots of shopping to do. I should probably do some online shopping now and beat the rush on cyber monday. Those lines are terrible. ;-)

347/365

GIVE & THANK

I'm stuffed. Too much food tonight! I remember when I was little... after parties and things we would bring food down to the Jubilee Kitchen. I still remember looking in and seeing all the tables. I feel bad for the people and animals that are hungry tonight and for those that have to decide between putting food on their table or paying their bills or buying their medication.

Chrissy and I went over Aunt Gloria's yesterday to help her with her cranberry jello salad. We were going step by step and I asked her how many nuts go into it and she pointed to each of us and counted and said - THREE! She was right about that. ;-)

We went to lunch after at the Starlite Lounge and had a good time. Glo kept saying she was having "such a good day." We got in the car after lunch and she asked if we would take her to Wal-Mart. I don't think she wanted the day to end.

We got back and her neighbor, Babe, was coming down to get her mail. She told us her nephew sent her flowers and asked if we would come up to see them. Chrissy met her match, I think... Babe is a QVC shop-a-holic and may possibly have more Tiffany lamps than her. Babe was all excited that I had been to Bedford Springs a couple times and was telling me about her hot stone massage she had there. She and her daughter were going there for brunch today. She showed us all her stuff - her clothes...jewelry... kitchen stuff... and told us how much she loved her pretty bed. She told us about all the baking she does and shared some of her secrets. She made us promise to come back so she could teach us how to make her perfect pie crust. Didn't really plan to be there as long as we were. There was so much to do and nothing really got done...besides making two old ladies happy. ;-)

It was a good day.

Happy Thanksgiving.

"Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true meaning of our thanksgiving." ~ W.F. Purkiser

346/365

I AM THE WARRIORI couldn't sleep last night so Lily and I went into the living room and watched the movie Apocalypto. I never saw it before.

We finally went into bed and all I could think about was the little girl screaming out to the captured women that were being taken across the water "Don't worry - I'll take care of them" as she stood there with all the children that were left behind.

I woke up thinking about that and thinking about the words my husband said to me... "I can't take care of you anymore, Jeannine."

Maybe those of you that come from divorced families or those that are divorced yourselves can help me understand how you go from saying you will love, honor and protect... to saying those words.

You probably know more about this than I do.

Or do you?

345/365

TOT - Ten on Tuesday (random thoughts)

1. This is just all kinds of wonderful...

2. I think I want to do this.

3. I don't text in the car but hear it is being outlawed - I agree with it but what about checking email or eating or other things? I almost went off the side of the road searching in my purse for a camera... Kind of ironic. I've been starting a photo collection of "Final Destination-esque ways to die." Here's one of them.

4. I'm going to get a seahorse when I get a house! Did you know that male seahorses have the babies. I've said it before - I would never ever get a boy dog - even though I have two boy dog names I would go with. I would like a boy sea horse, though. I'm thinking of names already. For now I'm going with Jeremiah SeaHorse. I have no idea why. Now that I'm thinking about it - Mr. Papagiorgio for a seahorse isn't too bad! ;-)

5. I like this girl. Watch this video.

6. Thanks to The Dad for coughing non stop for the last week... now I'm sick. ;-(

7. Glo said she doesn't want to go anywhere for thanksgiving because it's too dark and she's afraid she's going to fall. She also said she wants me to make her cranberry thing... for two reasons. 1. She's afraid she's going to forget to do something and mess it up and 2. She said someone else should learn to make it in case she's dead next year.

8. I have to look at this more often... I'm going to start on Friday. No Saturday. Actually, Sunday should work. ;-)

9. With that said - and I know this contradicts #8 - another note to self: NEVER, ever, ever buy LITE Brie again. Never. What the hell was I thinking?

10. I think I'm going to have a dress code next Christmas - I need to start thinking of a food theme that will go with "Ugly Christmas Sweater." Then we can have a photo shoot like this...

Did you even notice that there is a baby goat wearing a Santa hat on her lap?!? ;-)

344/365

PLEASE HAVE SNOW AND MISTLETOE...

Lily and I are snuggling on the couch. She was sleeping on top of me - something she usually does not do. That was more RoseBud's thing. She's nestled right next to me now - as close as she can get... almost underneath me.

I heard I'll be home for Christmas on the radio in the car. It's one of my favorites but I didn't like it much when I heard it today. ;-( I'm sitting here looking at one of my cardboard houses on the desk... wondering what's going on inside. Are the kids in bed counting down the days until Christmas... making a list in their heads about what they are going to ask for from Santa? Is Mom in the kitchen packing school lunches and writing cute little notes to insert inside... Is Dad finishing up some work and getting ready to go up to bed? Are the reading lights about to go off right after a kiss goodnight?

I hope so - in there, at least.

343/365

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK a little LIKE CHRISTMAS

I bought wrapping paper today.

If there's one thing I should not have bought - it's wrapping paper.

I bought it anyway. I'm a sucker for it. I go back and forth with using all the same pattern... a different paper for different people... two coordinating prints. I know I have a ton in storage and I found a bunch downstairs and, today, I bought more that will go with the ones I found last night. One had dogs on it too - which now brings me back to a different paper for everyone. I had to get funky bird paper too - which can be used year round so that's how I justified that purchase. I organized all the gifts I have so far. I haven't really gone shopping yet for much - almost all I gathered was stuff I picked up through the year.

I sometimes wish I was the kind of person that bought one thing for everyone. Check it off the list and it's done. I stop when I run out of time. It's kind of silly. I really wanted to be better organized and prepared for Christmas this year... to avoid any meltdowns for my sake and everyone around me. I can't seem to get into it at all.

I need to figure out this Mexican menu... and add a party room to the back of the house. I know one of those things isn't going to happen in the next 30+ days. ;-)

Here's another thing I shouldn't buy... Every time I go to Target I buy those snowman printed insulated coffee cups with the lids. I have four packs... and I had three that I think I bought after Christmas last year... NOTE TO SELF: You're good on the disposable cups!

I put some decorations out last night... only because I put the Halloween stuff away and was avoiding doing anything I really needed to do. I took a lot out and walked around with it and put most of it back. I don't have the display space here - and I don't have a mantel. ;-( And it just doesn't look right here. Plus, Mr. Cranky Pants is annoyed by all of it too.

The dining room tree from Dixon House used to change for the seasons but it hasn't changed - it's been my favorite family of snowmen since I've been here. Every day is Christmas - at the bottom of the steps, at least!

I think I may place some orders later... maybe. Probably not.

It's not even Thanksgiving yet. There's time.

342/365

CRASH

One truck down. ;-(

I was watching yard crashers this morning and thought I should do a little clean up before winter comes.

Just like RoseBud, Lily likes to get her paws dirty and work in the yard...

A lot of the pictures I took today reminded me of RoseBud...

I think I have the same shots of her somewhere...

She is a good little helper and all she wants in return is some time in the sun.

I LOVE this little puppy.

341/365

SALT OF THE EARTH

Wasn't that Joel's band name? Something like that, I think. Anyway, I bought a Himalayan rock salt lamp today...

Lily was kind of mesmerized by it and then brought her sushi toy to it - like an offering of sorts... then she went a little crazy.

Here she is running around like a lunatic! ;-)

Yes. That's her. Silly pup.

340/365

OH THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

Remember when this was like the go-to grad gift? It probably still is. I remember my cousin Anthony giving me this book for my high school graduation with a gift certificate to the Penn State book store and a little note about not letting my hair curl too much at college (he was my hair dresser too!)

I came across this idea (* see note below) of secretly giving this book to your kid's K-12 teachers at the end of each year and have them write a little note in it and then give the book to your son or daughter for his or her graduation. I'm not sure if I'll ever get to do that but I thought it was cute.

Anyway, I was out all day today. I met The Dad at his dr. appointment this morning... went to Glo's to put out multiple fires there... Oakland for me. I stopped at the rest stop today on the Turnpike to get a mocha and was kind of frozen there for awhile and was thinking about all the places I've been... all the roadtrips and adventures and even just being around here. Yes, I'm taking this book title literally, here. My mother drove the parkway two times in her life - and once was going the wrong way on the Churchill ramp! I'm not sure she ever pumped gas either. I don't know! I felt like I was driving all day today... actually I was driving all day. I was in the car thinking how did I get here - literally and figuratively. I came home shaking from doing so much and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I feel like I'm headed for something that's not too good. I'm either on the verge of a nervous breakdown or a heart attack.

I think it's time to snuggle with my puppy for awhile and breathe.

This will all be here tomorrow - 98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.

* Found this idea on Pinterest... check out the link here and visit A Sprinkle of This - A Dash of That for more great ideas.

339/365

WHY DOES THE GREEN GIANT SAY HO, HO, HO?

And why does the shadow of my foot look the it belongs to the Jolly Green Giant?!? I have cute little feet!!! ;-) Seriously, though, these are the kinds of questions that pop into my mind. Shouldn't "ho, ho, ho" be exclusively for Santa Claus? Is it because the GG is Jolly?

There are 38 DAYS until Christmas! There were Christmas songs on the radio today. Maybe they've been on but today was the first I heard them. I still don't know what I'm going to make... so much for my plan to try some new recipes out. ;-) I better get moving on that.

Not really in the Christmas spirit yet... I took most of my Halloween friends down and was going to try to put some snow people up to spread a little cheer around here but I haven't yet - not sure they're going to help much anyway.

I think I should go make some coffee and think about this for awhile.

338/365

TOT - TEN ON TUESDAY (random things on my mind)

1. I don't watch the show but I was reading about Rachel Crow. I hope she wins. Audition video here. So adorable!

2. Do you do this?

I bet people think "crazy dog mom" on mine when they see Lily's pictures.

3. Maybe "paranoid dog mom" is more like it. I don't know what happened this morning - she was in my bed sleeping - it was about 6:45 am and I was in the kitchen and I heard her "screaming" again...By the time I ran into the bedroom she was awake but groggy... I never saw if she was kicking her legs like last time. Maybe it was an actual dream?! I guess I'll never know. She seems ok - just a little more tired than usual. I do know that no other dog (ghost or not!) was getting Spider last night... she fell asleep with a tight grip on it.

4. I've been hearing this song a lot lately. Such a happy song.

5. I haven't balanced the checkbook since The Dad was in Norfolk... He said to me the other day - "you know there are like a 1000 mac receipts in the desk, right?" I actually didn't know that.

6. It seems like her biggest fear these days is that she's going to run out of jelly.

And MY biggest fear is that she is going to drive me crazy... she called hysterical this morning and said the pharmacy gave her all empty bottles of her eye drops yesterday... I was busy so she had a neighbor drive her back to talk to the pharmacist and it turns out she never took the new prescription out of the bag and was looking at her old bottles!!!

7. Number Gossip.

8. Yay for compulsive gamblers at the right place at the right time at the right steakhouse.

9. Cute idea. Write love letters to each other and place into a box along with a bottle of wine. Nail it shut at the wedding. When you have your first big fight, open it up, pour the wine, go to separate corners, read the love letters and remember.

10. Katherine, Chrissy and I went to LoLa the other day and we were walking down the street and Katherine questioned if we thought people look at us and think that she's just out with her two middle aged friends or... (what I was thinking) look at the lesbian couple with their really cool teenage daughter with the green and blue hair!?! ;-)

337/365

HERE, KITTY-KITTY...

I like whore shoes... I always have. Even when I was a little kid I would walk around in heels... I had high heeled maribou slippers from The Pussycat in Squirrel Hill when I was very, very young. They were my favorite shoes. I would put them on and dance around in my mother's negligees all the time.

Someone is trying to convince me to take a pole dancing class...

I already have the Carmen Electra's dvds... I really don't think I want to go to a class but I told her I would think about it - just to wear the shoes, at least. ;-)

While we're on this subject and since I was talking about an Ani DiFranco song the other day... If I ever become a stripper this would be the song I come out to. I always thought it was a very sexy song. I would wear a Black suit - a la Britney... red pumps... cat ears. Full live band. ;-)

Meow.

"...what if there are no damsels in distress... what if I knew that and I called your bluff... don't you think every kitten figures out how to get down whether or not you ever show up?"

336/365

Pug-a-BOO

A few nights ago - we just got settled into bed and Lily jumped up and growled and started barking at the pillow next to me... she wouldn't stop barking. I came home tonight and The Dad said he "thinks there's a ghost in the house." He said Lily kept standing in the hall and barked at her bed in the computer room and was afraid to go in.

She has been really jumpy the last week or so but I never told him she's been acting weird and thought he was just making it up... until she did it when I was here. She ran from the living room and started barking at the doorway of the backroom like she was chasing something.

I'm starting to wonder if it is RoseBud!?!?! If so, why would Lily bark at her??? And why doesn't RoseBud want Lily in the bed(s)??? Lily has been sitting with Spider more and sleeping with it and doing zerberts. Maybe she is mad at that!

I'm confused.

----------

I'm back... 9:22 pm.

Now she jumped off the couch and started barking and grabbed spider!

Looks like Lily won this round.

335/365

BACK ROAD TRIP

We started off at Handmade Arcade and, after realizing Chrissy had the wrong day for a Cookie Walk she heard about, we made an impromptu trip here...

Remember the movie Baby Boom with Diane Keaton? When the city folk come in the store and buy all the cute little homemade items??? That's how we were today... It was like the first time we ever saw jam and jelly!

I had to take a lot of pictures with my eyes... Partly because I wanted to be a good girl and not take any pictures of the Amish and partly because Ted won't stop on the side of the road like I do to get a shot of some random giant cow on top of a 40 foot pole. ;-) There was a great cemetery - Harmony Grove - established in 1800 something... Park Hills Farm - one of the farms that produces Turner's milk... Lots of photo ops everywhere. Here's one I did get.

It seems to be that Ted's GPS is set to "back country roads only" because that's how we got around those parts. It was like the Griswolds Mennonite Vacation - we were cracking up.

Finished off the night at Kelly Jo's candle party.

OK it's 1:11. I can't wait to get into bed. ;-)

One more thing...

On second thought, that can wait.

Goodnight, All.

334/365

TODAY IS 11/11/11!

That's a good enough post title I think since it's such a unique day. I guess I was lucky enough to have one of the extra special days too with my birthday on 11/1/11. Hmm... what did I have to say on 1/1/11 and 1/11/11? I wonder if the wishes made at 11:11 am and 11:11 pm today are extra, extra special!?!

I guess we'll have to wait for 12/12/12 for the next big day and then it will all end on 12/21/12... or will it all begin?

Here's what made today extra special!!!

\

I'm a girl who loves her road signs. ;-)

Happy Veterans Day too!

333/365

NOT SO HAPPY VALLEY

I don't really watch much televison anymore but I had it on this morning and, I'll admit, I cried watching some news footage of what was happening on the Penn State campus. I saw Old Main and was transported right there to the sidewalk - pre-cell phone, pre-internet, pre-grown up life. It was a little bit like seeing your home falling apart right in front of your eyes...

I remember the riots that came about when some drunk bitch flashed her boobs from an apartment balcony... it's not an unheard of occurrence in Happy Valley or any other campus. Goal posts are ripped out of the field and couches are burned all the time. Kids will be kids and idiots will be idiots on any given day for any given reason. Some day, those students will realize this is about more than football and school icons.

I think it will be awhile before anyone is aware of all that happened so I'll leave my opinion out of it for now. There's more people involved in this than the ones that are making a headline news story. If interested, this is a good timeline of the events so far... Right and Wrong is pretty obvious here. Turning a blind eye on things that are going on around you doesn't make it go away. Doing nothing, not doing enough, staying silent - it's all the same thing...in the world, in your own home - in any situation.

Truth always comes out in the end...eventually.

----------

I was going to post a picture of the news van being flipped over but decided against it. I don't have many pictures here of my days at PSU... I was looking through the ones posted on facebook, though, and they still make me smile. Before I went there, my parents spent many weekends taking me up and back to visit my friends so I think I'll post this one from 1989. ;-)

332/365

TOT - TEN ON TUESDAY (on Wednesday)

1. What is up with this??? I NEVER posted this photo to my facebook wall!

In fact - I haven't even downloaded all the photos from Deep Creek because my Iphoto is full. This somehow got into my wall photos but it has the same caption as the one I DID post of Lily at the table which is right before it. I'm completely confused about this.

2. RoseBud was terrible last night. Yeah - I know I said RoseBud. I meant Lily!!! She was a nervous wreck - barking at every sound, light, etc... jumping on and off the bed... trying to lick me...it was miserable. She finally got annoyed with me telling her to stop and went in and slept with the dad which is very unusual. I think she's going crazy from this new food. I'm going back to what she was on. The old one got the highest rating and this new one got the lowest. I'm confused!!!! I'm having a really hard time with her health issues if I haven't made that clear yet! ;-)

3. I saw a video of a starling murmuration on a friend's facebook page... Amazing. Watch it here.

4. I want to be this for Halloween next year... I need to find a good air brusher.

5. Do you brush your teeth for two minutes? I was in Target and katherine picked up a justin bieber singing toothbrush and we were cracking up... so I looked up the site - there's a piggy one. I would shoot myself after two minutes of that!

6. I think I posted about this BFF pair before... ;-( Read story here.

7. Today was out of control... I went to an appointment and when I got there I was told I had the wrong time...as if that wasn't bad enough... I had the wrong day - so I'm back there tomorrow again. I still had to go to two other appointments today - met the dad at his and one for Glo. Trifecta - 10, 1 and 3:30... or so I thought. I had a zillion things to do and I had to stay out three hours longer to go eat and find an answering machine that now she wants to unplug every night because she doesn't like the light that stays on. I am completely exhausted - seriously - I couldn't wait to get home. I had already eaten lunch but felt bad for Glo because she was so happy to be out that I ate again! It took all I had in me to eat this smile. I felt like it was mocking me. I would have preferred a frowny waffle.

8. In my next house I want a robot themed guest bathroom... I'm going to start with this.

9. As soon as I started scratching this I thought "the snozzberries taste like snozberries!" I didn't lick it so not sure what it tastes like but it smells like PEPPERMINT!!! ;-)

10. I didn't expect the response I got from this. My already out of control email just got worse. Yesterday was my day for the3six5. Those selected had to give a few dates they would want to write on. I got the 8th. You can read my post here.